Tag Alex Ross Marvel

A Fantastic Four #5 Micro-Review – Reed Richards as an Alien?

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***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

TITLE: Fantastic Four #5
AUTHOR: Ryan North
ARTISTS: Ivan Fiorelli, Jesus Aburtov (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer). Cover by Alex Ross.
RELEASED: March 8, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Piggybacking off what I said last time, just how socially out of touch and “nerdy” is Reed Richards supposed to be? I’m legitimately asking, as I’m not as big an FF guy as some of my peers. Case in point, In this issue he says to Johnny Storm: “In the vernacular of you and your peers … hell yeah, it’s a thing we can do!” So “Hell yeah” is vernacular to him? This version of Reed feels more alien than any other version I’ve read.

On the upside, this issue contains a really cool FF take on Da Vinci’s “Virtuvian Man.”

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Fantastic Four #3 Micro-Review – Pulling Punches

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***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

TITLE: Fantastic Four #3
AUTHOR: Ryan North
ARTISTS: Iban Coello, Jesus Aburtov (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letter). Variant cover by Alex Ross.
RELEASED: January 4, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

There’s a scene in this issue where a guy with no powers is punching the Human Torch, and Johnny is “turnin’ off your fire on impact.” In essence he’s making an effort to allow someone to beat him up by pulling back his fire powers. Because, you know, he’s the Human goddamn Torch.

I get not wanting to hurt people because you’re a good guy. But if you’re a bad guy, and you’re stupid enough to touch (much less punch) someone or something that’s on fire, you deserve what you get.

How’s that for wisdom?

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Alex Ross Spotlight: Fantastic Four #3

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

What we have here is a variant cover for this week’s Fantastic Four #3. Ross also drew the main cover for the issue, but I like this one better for its use of grayscale. Not making the Thing his usual orange color allows you to appreciate the painstaking detail Ross puts into his rocky skin. Imagine having to do that every single time you draw a character…

I also love the sense of life that the eyes brings to the image. They bring a great sense of humanity to this otherworldly creature. For me personally, it’s about as close as you can come to making it believable that the Thing could exist in the real world.

Fantastic Four 3, variant cover, December 2022, Alex Ross, The Thing

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Alex Ross Spotlight: Black Panther #12

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I suppose I’m just not as well versed in my Avengers lore as I should be, as I didn’t know they had a big roundtable like we see on the cover to this week’s Black Panther #12. I know the classic Justice League has one. I guess in this case what’s good for one is good for the other…

This is a textbook set-up: One hero walking away from the other heroes to indicate isolation, separation, etc. But as T’Challa is walking toward the camera, we’re able to see Ross’ detailed rendering of his face and get a read on what’s going through his head at this pivotal moment.

One interesting element about this cover is that we get to see Ross depict these heroes in a more “down” moment. We’ve got Thor and Iron Man without their helmets sitting at the table. Their posture doesn’t indicate that they’re relaxed, per se. But they’re not springing into action, or mid-action, as a cover would often depict them. Oddly enough though, Captain America is still in full superhero mode, with his mask on and his shield strapped to his back. Somehow that feels right for Steve Rogers, who might take more of an all-business approach in a setting like this.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Fantastic Four #2 Micro-Review- A Town Called Doom

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Fantastic Four 2, cover, December 2022, Alex RossTITLE: Fantastic Four #2
AUTHOR: Ryan North
ARTISTS: Iban Coello, Jesus Aburtov (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer). Cover by Alex Ross.

RELEASED: December 7, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This is a really strong character issue for Doctor Doom. That’s saying something, as he doesn’t appear in the issue.

We started this series off by checking in with Ben and Alicia Grimm. This month we check in with Reed and Sue Richards. And (Spoiler Alert!) next issue we check in with Johnny Storm. In terms of starting a new team book in particular, that’s not a conventional approach. But it’s not a bad one. New readers (like myself) get a chance to spend some more time with the characters before we get into the larger-scope stuff.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Fantastic Four #1 Micro-Review – A Fantastic Foundation

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Fantastic Four 1, cover, 2022, Alex RossTITLE: Fantastic Four #1
AUTHOR: Ryan North
ARTISTS: Iban Coello, Jesus Aburtov (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer). Cover by Alex Ross.

RELEASED: November 9, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I’m not sure what I expected when I opened this issue. But what we got? Mr. and Mrs. Ben Grimm trapped in a time loop in the middle of small town USA without any of the other members of the FF? That definitely wasn’t it…

But for the record, I’m not complaining. This is probably unlike first issue there’s ever been to a proper Fantastic Four series. The art by Coello and Aburtov is colorful and fun, and it sets a nice foundation with Ben and Alicia. It’s not what I expected. But I can’t hate on it.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Epic Covers: Fantastic Four #1 by Alex Ross

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

There’s an argument to be made that every cover Alex Ross does is epic just because he’s Alex Ross.

But what sticks out to me about the cover to today’s Fantastic Four #1, as opposed to the various other covers Ross has recently done for Marvel, is that it’s a blaze of color. The effect is borderline psychedelic. Thus, not only do we have Ross’ pitch perfect renderings of our four heroes, but he’s taken a step outside the box with them. The FF have, for my money, rarely looked this good.

Fantastic Four 1, cover, 2022, Alex Ross

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Alex Ross Spotlight: Marvel “Timeless” Portraits

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This week, Marvel unveiled a second wave of “Timeless” portraits by the incomparable Alex Ross. The paintings, which now total 28, will be used as variant covers this fall. They’re also being used for a mural in Marvel’s new offices.

Six of Ross’ “Timeless” portraits are pictured below. The rest can be seen here.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.